In Pictures

Gallery|Humanitarian Crises

Yemen: Displaced in Sanaa’s Old City

More than 10 percent of Yemen’s population has been forced to flee due to the ongoing conflict.

33 year old Mohammed Ali unloads jerry cans from his wheelbarrow in the Old City of Sana''a which will supply his family with safe water. He fled with ten family members from Yemen’s northern province
Mohammed Ali unloads jerry cans from his wheelbarrow in the Old City of Sanaa. The 33-year-old fled with 10 family members from Yemen’s northern province of Sa'ada, on the border with Saudi Arabia, after his house was destroyed. [Mohammed Hamoud/UNHCR/Al Jazeera]
By Shabia Mantoo
Published On 13 Feb 2018

Sanaa, Yemen – Rocked by more than three years of conflict, the majority of those living in Yemen are in need of humanitarian assistance. 

The civil war escalated in March 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition launch air attacks on Yemen against Houthi rebels captured much of the country. 

Since then, more than 10,000 people have been killed, millions have been forced to flee and the country has been ravaged by disease and hunger. 

This photo essay is provided by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

Forced to flee her home in Sana’a governorate’s Bani Matar district after it was battered by intensified hostilities, 70 year old widow, Qafia, passes time at the entrance of a small house she rents i
Forced to flee her home, 70-year-old widow, Qafia, passes time at the entrance of a small house she rents in Sanaa's Old City. [Mohammed Hamoud/UNHCR/Al Jazeera]
Helping support his family cope through displacement, 13 year old Jamal Mahmood juggles school and work, selling necklaces in the morning at Sana’a’s Old City market before attending school at noon. F
Jamal Mahmood, 13, juggles school and work, selling necklaces in the morning at Sanaa's Old City market before attending school at noon. Forced to flee his home in the neighbouring Amran governorate at the beginning of the war, Jamal helps provide for his parents, siblings and grandfather earning between $0.80 and $3.50 a day. More than 10 percent of Yemen's workforce are believed to be children. [Mohammed Hamoud/UNHCR/Al Jazeera]
Sisters Eman and Amani Asabah play among rubble and debris in the Old City of Sana’a. After their house was destroyed in the war they fled with their family from the Old City but have since returned t
Sisters Eman and Amani Asabah play among rubble and debris in the Old City of Sanaa. After their house was destroyed in the war they fled with their family from the Old City but have since returned to live in a dwelling near their former home. In addition to two million currently displaced in Yemen, there are one million displaced now attempting to return back to their homes. [Mohammed Hamoud/UNHCR/Al Jazeera]
Though lucky to escape Yemen’s embattled governorate of Taizz, Ahmed Saleh Ali sits on a rooftop terrace in Sana’a’s Old City, longing to return home. He arrived in Sana’a more than a year ago togethe
Having escaped Yemen’s embattled governorate of Taizz, Ahmed Saleh Ali sits on a rooftop terrace in Sanaa’s Old City, longing to return home. He arrived in Sanaa more than a year ago with his six children after his home was shelled. He is among more than 22 million people in Yemen that are in need of humanitarian assistance. [Mohammed Hamoud/UNHCR/Al Jazeera]
Waiting for customers at Sana’a’s Old City, Mahmood Mohammed (left) supports five members of his family with the modest income he receives as a porter at the market. With his family displaced by war,
Waiting for customers in Sanaa's Old City, Mahmood Mohammed (left) supports five members of his family with the modest income he receives as a porter at the market. He is forced to prioritise rent and food and struggles to afford essential medication for two of his children who suffer from chronic illnesses. Adequate health care is out of reach for more than 16 million people in Yemen with medical equipment and medications also in short supply. [Mohammed Hamoud/UNHCR/Al Jazeera]
13 year old Ali Abdulkader stands at the site of what was once his former home in the Old City of Sana’a. Ali lost four members of his family; his father, brother, uncle and aunt, when their house was
Ali Abdulkader, 13, stands at the site of what was once his former home in the Old City of Sanaa. Abdulkader lost four members of his family, including his father, brother, uncle and aunt, when their house was destroyed in the conflict. [Mohammed Hamoud/UNHCR/Al Jazeera]
Siblings Mohammed, Batool and Luai Ali Zaid walk on the rubble of their neighbor’s house which was destroyed by conflict in the Old City of Sana’a. The children fled the area with their family after t
Siblings Mohammed, Batool and Luai Ali Zaid walk on the rubble of their neighbour's house, which was destroyed by conflict in the Old City of Sanaa. The children fled the area with their family after the incident but have since returned. [Mohammed Hamoud/UNHCR/Al Jazeera]